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Ask PSLS: Are You Excited for the PS4’s VR Headset?

March 19, 2014 Written by Jason Dunning

After watching The Matrix too many times, Shuhei Yoshida helped unveil Project Morpheus yesterday at GDC, giving us a look at the PS4’s upcoming VR headset. Naturally, we asked the PSLS staff: Are you excited for the PS4’s VR headset?

Despite the public’s excitement for Sony’s Project Morpheus VR Headset, you can’t fully understand the immersion one experiences while using something like this until you’ve used it yourself. I’ve used Oculus Rift as well, but since we’re talking about Sony here, two years ago at GDC, I got to test out what I believe was the origin of concept for Project Morpheus. It was at a Sony demo for the PSN title Datura, and the developer was talking about a feature that wouldn’t ever make it to release that involved using one of Sony’s head-mounted HMZ Personal 3D Viewer, a PlayStation Move fastened to the headset acting as a head-tracking camera, and using an additional PlayStation Move controller as the “hand” in Datura to open doors and interact with the environment. Simply put, it was one of the most moving experiences I’ve had… and that was two years ago at GDC. You can read more about my experience here.

VR for a long time was a pipe dream, but now it’s a reality. All that is required are for developers to build content around it.

Cameron Teague – Paranoid

No. I have seen Sword Art Online and I am far too afraid of getting plugged into a virtual world where some evil villain turns off your ability to leave said world.

On a serious note, I have a hard time getting excited because when was the last time Sony truly supported an accessory like this? The PS Move and Wonderbook have both seen extremely minimal support and push from Sony. So why should I buy in at what is sure to be a ridiculous price and then see it never get much love from Sony?

I’m hesitantly excited for Project Morpheus. While the technology is mind blowing and would allow for a much more immersive experience, the price tag and support may end up being a huge caveat and barrier to entry. I was one of the people that bought a 3D TV (and I actually love it), but sadly, the support has been lacking. With the proper pricing for consumers and support from developers, PS4’s VR Headset could be an indicator of where gaming experiences are headed, and the venture is one that I will fully encourage. On a side note, I would like to see the video signal be allowed to throughput to the TV while the headset is in use if my wife wants to watch what I am playing.

D’yani Wood – Looking Ahead

Sony makes really amazing technology a little ahead of itself (and maybe the rest of the world). So, in the distant future this thing will be awesome and I’ll most likely own one once the price comes down and there’s stuff to actually do with it. I will be playing VR simulation games many moons from now.

But seriously, while VR headsets can provide amazing experiences (like the one Sony gave me at TGS), I don’t see them being very important to my gaming habits in the future. That was a set presentation by a team of people whose only job was to thrill me for half an hour. When there’s a video game involved and I’m in my own house, things change.

Wiimote, Kinect, Move, EyeToy, Wonderbook… I remember not falling for those gimmicks either. All this time later, can you really say I was wrong in not buying into the hype?

I don’t have anything against Virtual Reality – quite the opposite in fact. I think it’s a really cool way to interact with games, I just don’t want to play my games on PS4 with a big headset attached to my head. Sure, it will increase the immersion a ton, but I feel like Project Morpheus is the first step in a long journey for VR, and I’m not ready to start quite yet.

I would have to try it out, but no, I am currently not interested in this type of technology. I do think the future will move towards increasingly panoramic displays – think Universal Century Gundam cockpits or Fahrenheit 451’s interactive TV rooms; and devices such as the Oculus Rift and Sony’s VR are steps toward that direction. However, I will wait until technology has become more adept at the matter.

Are you excited for the PS4’s VR headset? Let us know in the comments below.